Full House
by DCeMBers
Summary: A freak disaster turns Rachel and Quinn's world upside down. Set after season 2. Eventual Faberry. Poker-verse.
1. Shaken not stirred

**A/N: The chapter titles are_ parts_ of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! I'm looking for the first (or the most famous) movie in which it was mentioned. The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'!**

**Full House**

**Chapter 1- Shaken not stirred**

It was a dark and stormy night.

No, wait a minute, scratch that. It wasn't dark, it wasn't stormy and it was the middle of the day for crying out loud. But that was how Rachel felt, sitting all alone on the couch in her rather empty house, just staring at the ceiling. New Directions had just placed twelfth at Nationals. She knew that was something to be proud of. I mean, come on, they were _twelfth _out of fifty of the top show choirs in the country. But she couldn't help but thinking that if it weren't for her kiss with Finn onstage, they could have placed in the top ten. It was that fact that made her break-up with Finn _yet again, _when they'd barely even gotten back together.

Well...

What's done is done. There simply was no use brooding about it. But she knew, she _knew_ back then that if she kissed Finn she was going to regret it. So _why?_ Why would she jeopardize her plans of stardom for just one kiss? Looking back on it now, she realized that she was never in love with Finn. Her feelings for him were simply a byproduct of her delusional Broadway-oriented mind that just _had_ to pair her up with the male lead.

There was something else. Something else she was missing here.

She tried to visualize the moments leading up to the kiss. She remembered Finn and her circling around each other. She remembered her emotions building up as she was singing the song, the lyrics touching something within her, but oddly, none of them applying to Finn. She remembered her eyes sliding to the side for a split-second to look past Finn, meeting another pair of eyes that were staring back at her.

Ring. Ring

Eyes that belonged to one of the Gleeks who dared to look over their shoulder even if their back was supposed to be facing the audience.

Ring. Ring.

Eyes that seemed so forlorn and full of loneliness.

Ring. Ring.

Eyes that were hazel.

No.

Rachel sat back up so fast she almost shot off the couch. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Surely her imagination was just running wild again. Only after a she got her head back in order did she notice that the phone was ringing. She hurriedly picked it up.

"Hello, Berry residence, Rachel Berry speaking."

"Miss Berry? This is Sergeant Burton of the Lima Police Department. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

Rachel sat back down, all thoughts of Nationals flew from her mind as she heard the terrible news that came next.

_At the Fabray residence..._

Quinn flopped onto her bed face down and groaned into her pillow. How could she be such a failure when it came to her love life? It was the beginning of summer and once again, she was all alone. She had a plan to get her life back this year, and now she was left with a big pile of nothing. Everybody else's love lives had turned out well this year. Heck, she even saw Sam and Mercedes holding hands over at the Lima Bean the other day. Even her mother had found someone. They'd been going out for a couple of months, though she hadn't met the guy yet. They were going out on a lunch date today, hence, reminding Quinn once again of the awfulness of her current social situation.

One of the windows suddenly flew open and a rush of wind entered Quinn's bedroom. Quinn nearly jumped off her bed in shock. Then simultaneously, all of the windows of the room blew open and curtains started flapping in the face of an unnaturally strong wind.

"Quinnie! Quinnie!" Her mother shouted as she burst through the doorway of Quinn's bedroom. "Hurry! Pack your stuff! There's a tornado coming!"

Quinn's mind reeled at what she heard. What? A tornado? Tornadoes were not an uncommon occurrence in Ohio, but still, Quinn had never heard of one passing their way. Well, her mother seemed serious and the abnormally strong wind ruffling through her bedroom was enough proof for Quinn to believe this piece of news. She hurriedly packed whatever she could into her bags. She knew what she needed to take now, having experienced having to pack her belongings in a hurry before. She quickly threw some clothes into her bags, packed up her laptop, grabbed the rest of her essentials from her dresser and ran downstairs.

The wind seemed to be getting stronger. The curtains of the living room downstairs, were blown off the curtain rail and were now whipping about the room. The whole house was starting to shake. Judy ran up to Quinn and liberated one of her bags from her hands.

"Hurry, Quinn! We don't have much time! It's about to hit! We have to get to the basement quickly! The three of us will be safe there!"

_Three? Her mom's date was here? Was she finally going to meet this mystery guy her mom had been hiding away for the past couple of months?_

Judy whirled around and rushed through the door that led to their basement. Quinn followed closely after her. They were in such a rush that Quinn misstepped on the bottom step of the staircase and went sprawling on the floor of the basement.

"Quinnie!" Her mom shrieked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mom." Quinn groused. "It's just dark down here. Now if someone could please help me up?"

"Here," a familiar voice spoke up from right beside Quinn. "Let me help you up." _Wait a minute._ Quinn's eyes squinted as she tried to peer through the darkness at the source of _that _voice. She _knew_ that voice from somewhere. A pair of hands gripped Quinn's shoulder's and helped her to stand. Strong hands. Soft hands. _Odd. _Suddenly, light flooded the room as Judy lit the gas lamp that was hanging from one of the support columns. Quinn gasped as she saw who the person standing right in front of her was and promptly fainted.

"Told you," Judy Fabray remarked as she wrapped her arms around her lover, whose mouth was still agape, unable to stop staring at the unconscious blonde on the floor. "You owe me fifty bucks."


	2. Not in Kansas anymore

**A/N: The chapter titles are parts of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'!**

**A/N2: As I am posting right now, the tally of correct guesses is 1 on LJ and 0 on FF. Come _on_, I am looking for the first (famous) movie in which the quote was uttered. It's okay to copy the first one who gets the correct answer as long as you are one of the first five to post it. (Well, at least, it's very easy to tell where this chapter's title came from.)**

**Chapter 2- Not in Kansas anymore**

_Two hours after the all clear..._

Quinn was still in shock. The Fabray home had been completely and utterly _destroyed_. The whole structure had been torn apart by the tornado. There was nothing but pieces of walls lying around. All of the furniture, the antiques, the paintings, their grand piano, all either whisked away or smashed to bits.

They were basically homeless, being that they were shunned by all of their self-righteous relatives ever since Quinn got pregnant almost two years ago. The same also applied to their so-called church friends. No one wanted someone of Quinn's reputation living in their home.

But that was the least of Quinn's worries. Her mind was still spinning in circles over who her mother had been dating. Her mother was dating another woman! A _woman! _Was she a lesbian now? Was she going through some kind of man-hating phase? Her mother had gotten a lot looser since she kicked her father out of the house, but for crying out loud, this was really taking the cake!

But that still wasn't the biggest issue. What had Quinn's knickers in a twist was the identity of her mother's _(shudder)_ lover. Was her mom insane? How could she do this to her? How did it even happen in the first place? What possessed her to go out with that... that woman? After all she'd been through in the past couple of years, a revelation of this magnitude had shattered Quinn's world into a million pieces.

She had been trying so hard to shut out that part of her life ever since she turned her back on it and now it was back in full force. Right in her face. She couldn't handle this right now. She needed to run, but problem was, there was nowhere to go. She was stuck. Stuck in this stupid little town in the middle of nowhere.

She never felt so helpless in her life.

_Lima Memorial Hospital..._

Rachel was sitting in the waiting area of Lima Memorial Hospital.

Waiting.

Waiting for any kind of sign that her dads were okay. Her nerves were frayed, her spirit was worn down as she just kept sitting with her hands clasped on her lap.

Waiting.

Praying. Praying that some kind of miracle would happen. It was nerve wracking, almost too much for any one person to handle.

Waiting.

Expecting the worst, hoping for the best. Your whole world plunged into darkness while you sit there and just wait. Waiting for something. Anything.

_Two hours ago..._

"_Hello, Berry residence, Rachel Berry speaking."_

"_Miss Berry? This is Sergeant Burton of the Lima Police Department. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."_

"_Bad news?"_

"_Ideally, the hospital should be the one calling you about this, but given the circumstances, I think they have their hands full right now. I took it upon myself to call you personally since your dad has helped us quite a bit down here at the station."_

_Leroy Berry was an assistant district attorney and so was known to the cops of Lima. Especially Harry Burton. He was Leroy's best friend. They wer kind of a team. He caught the bad guys and Leroy put them in jail._

"_So, what's the news?"_

"_There's been an accident. Your dads were driving into West Lima when a tornado materialized right in front of them. Their car got caught in it and... I'm so sorry, we weren't able to extract them until after the tornado had dissipated."_

_Rachel sank down on the couch fearing the worst._

"_Are they... are they..."_

"_Last time I saw them they were still alive, but only just. To tell you the truth, it doesn't look too good. They're being transported over to Lima Memorial Hospital right now. Do you need a ride?"_

_Rachel could hardly breathe. Her fathers were still alive... barely. She only managed to sputter out a single word, "Yes." before she dropped the phone back in it's cradle, and curled up on the couch, settling into the darkness of her soul. _

_Waiting. _

Present time..

"Miss Rachel Berry?"

Rachel looked up, hoping that the doctor had come to bring good news. She blinked. Yes, it was indeed the doctor, but standing right beside him was a middle-aged looking man in a brown suit who looked a little bit familiar.

"Yes?" Rachel replied while still regarding the brown suited man with a curious look. The man seemed to notice this and immediately stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. Miss Berry, my name is Frank Barnes. I work with your father down at the district attorney's office. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, but I was only listed as an emergency contact for when your fathers are deemed to be in this kind of state."

Rachel froze, ignoring the man's still outstretched hand A lawyer? Her dads wouldn't need a lawyer at the hospital unless they were... no, they couldn't be... oh God, please, no... Rachel didn't realize she had stopped breathing until she felt the doctor shaking her by the shoulders.

"Miss Berry, are you okay? Just breathe deeply, you'll be fine." Rachel snapped out of it and took a deep breath, taking in some much needed air. Then she started hyperventilating again.

"What happened? Are my... are my... are they... oh please, don't let it be..."

"Relax, Miss Berry. Your fathers are still alive." That was enough to deflate Rachel as a big wave of relief washed over her. Her fathers were alive. Okay, she could do this. But still... _Wait. Still?_

"Doctor, what do you mean by 'still alive'? Is there something wrong? And why is there a lawyer here?"

"Miss Berry, yes, you're fathers are still alive. But they have both suffered severe traumatic brain injuries and are both comatose. I'm sorry, but we don't know when they will wake up." Rachel stopped breathing. _A coma? _She couldn't quite process it. It was like everything had stopped. What would happen to her now? She wasn't ready for this. She wanted to run. But there were still things she needed to know. Questions yet to be answered. So she made herself calm down. She needed to get through this.

"That doesn't explain why there needs to be a lawyer here." Frank cleared his throat.

"Um, Miss Berry? I'm not a lawyer. I'm one of the social workers for the district here in Allen County."

"A social worker?"

"Yes, Miss Berry. Your father, Leroy, made arrangements with me, just in case both he and his husband were indisposed in some way. You are still under eighteen, which means that you still need to be watched over by a guardian. Fortunately enough, your father had some modicum of foresight, so he and Mister Hiram have appointed a guardian for you in the case that they would not be around to care for you."

Rachel was confused now. A guardian? As far as she knew, they didn't have any relatives living in Lima. Who could her fathers have chosen to take care of her? Would she have to move away? Would she have to leave Lima?

"Who...who is it?"

"I already contacted her when I first got the news. She should be arriving any minute now. Your father mentioned that you met her already. It's-" Frank stopped abruptly when he saw that the color had suddenly drained from Rachel's face. She was staring at the entrance to the waiting room, so Frank directed his gaze there too.

"Shelby." Rachel croaked out in a tiny, raspy voice. The tall brunette woman standing by the doorway took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Hello, Rachel."

Silence filled the room as the tension between the two ladies grew until even the other occupants could feel it as well. Neither mother nor daughter knew what to say. They just remained in their positions, unmoving, unflinching, eyes transfixed on one another.

Waiting.


	3. Need a bigger boat

**A/N: The chapter titles are _parts_ of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'! Remember, I need the exact title of the movie!**

**A/N2: I apologize, I can't seem to find the energy to write long-winded dramatic scenes. Just chalk it up to the characters trying to avoid serious confrontation.**

**Chapter 3- Need a bigger boat**

Rachel felt like she was drowning. This couldn't be happening. Shelby was here. _Shelby. _The mother she never knew, who walked away from her in favor of Quinn's daughter. She just sat there, unable to break away from the somewhat desperate gaze of her biological mother. She needn't ask why she was here. It was obvious, and she didn't waste her breath on stupid questions.

"I can't do this. I can't live with... _her_"

"Miss Berry, I'm afraid you have no choice. You are still underage and she _is _your appointed legal guardian. The law does not allow minors to live alone, without parental supervision. And she is your mom after all."

"She is not my mom!" Rachel burst out suddenly. She was angry. Angry at Shelby for reaching out to her only to pull away. Angry at the world for putting her in this position. Angry at herself for being so... so helpless. She collapsed in her seat and started crying.

Shelby just stood there, her face also streaked with tears. Her heart was begging her, pleading with her to reach out and comfort her daughter. Yet she didn't move an inch. She didn't feel like she had that right anymore. Rachel was right. She was not her mom. She had given up any right to be her mom ever since she had walked away from her that day in the auditorium.

Now she had another chance. A chance thrust upon her by horrible circumstances. A chance she didn't earn. She had made a mistake when she followed Will Schuester's advice and told Rachel that they should just 'appreciate each other from afar'. What did that even mean? It had brought ruin to their relationship. Now she was standing here, several feet away from her daughter. A daughter who needed her. Needed her but didn't want her. It was destiny's decree. An inescapable irony. A cruel joke of fate that brought them face to face with each other once more, this time with a greater gap between them.

"Rachel."

It took a moment before Shelby realized that she had spoken. Even just saying her own daughter's name made her feel awash with regret.

"Rachel, I'm sorry."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No. You've made your choice when you replaced me with Beth. Just because you're my guardian now, doesn't mean we get to talk and make everything okay. I'll follow the rules and be civil and live with you, but as soon as my dads wake up I'm out of there, understood?"

"Rachel..." Rachel raised her hand cutting off Shelby. She was in full blown diva mode now.

"Save it, just take me to my _home_, 'cause evidently I have to do some packing for my stay at your _house._"

* * *

><p>"Quinn, we're not staying in this motel." Quinn raised her eyebrows and cocked her head, waiting to hear what Judy had to say next. "There's no easy way to say this but... we're moving in with my girlfriend. We're in love and we both agreed that it would be more practical, given the situation, if we just moved in together instead of trying to rebuild a house with so many painful memories. At our age, Quinn, it is difficult to find love, but we did, even though the situation wasn't very conducive to it. And when you find love, you just have to grab onto it and hold on, 'cause it's what makes life worth living."<p>

Quinn was flabbergasted. She couldn't wrap her head around it. Not only was her mother seeing _that woman_, but now they were all going to be living together?

"What? You've only been seeing each other for a couple of months and now you're in love with her? _And _we're moving in with her?"

"Well, we weren't supposed to take that step for a while yet. But now that our living situation has... drastically changed, it just seemed like fate telling us to take it to the next level. I know it's going to be difficult Quinn, but she has never wanted to shut you out."

"Fine." Judy went over to the bathroom but stopped by the doorway. She turned to look back at Quinn.

"Oh, and by the way, her eldest daughter is coming to live with her and she only has one spare room, so you'll have to share." Quinn's jaw dropped.

Judy deftly slipped into the bathroom and locked the door just as her daughter started squawking in protest.

* * *

><p>Rachel was pensive as she stepped into the Corcoran home. The living room was barely furnished and there was a pile of moving boxes in the corner. She turned to Shelby.<p>

"You just moved here?"

"Yeah, Beth and I have actually been living in New York this past year, I actually saw your performance at Nationals." Rachel's eyes bugged out.

"You were in New York? Why would you ever want to move back?"

"It felt wrong, bringing Beth so far away from her family, bringing myself so far away from _my_ family. I've actually been back for a couple of months. I stayed at my cousin's until I found this place."

Rachel remained silent, lips pursed, as she pondered. Shelby decided to change the subject.

"Um, you should know, my girlfriend and her daughter are moving in with us. Their home got destroyed in the tornado. I only have one spare bedroom besides the master bedroom and Beth's room, so you'll have to share." Rachel's eyes widened. Her mother was gay?

"Girlfriend?"

"Yes. Her name's Judy." A smile flitted involuntarily across Shelby's face when she mentioned Judy's name. "Judy Fabray. I believe you know her daughter, Quinn?"

Rachel's face paled. Quinn? How could this even happen? Judy Fabray was Beth's grandmother for crying out loud! Was this real life?

Then the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p>Quinn was nervous as she and her mom stopped in front of the front door of Shelby's house and rang the doorbell. She didn't know how to act around Shelby. She didn't know how she was going to live in the same house as <em>Rachel Berry<em>, much less share a room with her. But most of all, she didn't know if she was ready to see her daughter again.

The door swung open.

You could see it plain as day. Both Shelby's and Judy's faces lit up at the sight of each other. It made Quinn want to barf.

"Hey, Jude."

"Hey, Shell."

The two older women leaned toward each other and shared a brief, but passionate kiss, arms slipping into an intimate embrace. Quinn swore she could _feel_ the vomit trying to climb its way up her esophagus. She took her bags and tried to focus on anything but the happy couple, who were now Eskimo kissing and making googly eyes at each other. It was then that Quinn caught sight of a short brunette standing several feet behind Shelby. She moved to step past her mom and her (shudder) girlfriend.

"Rachel?"

"Quinn?"

"Do you even know what's going on?"

"I hope to God we're just being Punk'd."

"I'm not ready for this."

"Neither am I."

"Girls!" Shelby called out. "Let me show you two to your room while Judy gets the bags." They nodded silently and followed Shelby up the stairs, still trying to comprehend the surrealness of their situation. She gestured to the first door off to the side.

"That's the master bedroom." She pointed to the next door over.

"And that's Beth's room." Tears suddenly welled up in Quinn's eyes.

"Is she.. is she in there?" Quinn choked out. Rachel suddenly felt the urge to grab Quinn's hand and offer her some modicum of comfort. Quinn must be going through a hard time with all of this. But she checked herself, afraid that Quinn might just reject her.

"Not at the moment," Shelby answered. Quinn relaxed, but only slightly. "She's at her aunt's house for the weekend. I figured you'd need some time before you see her." She moved on down the hallway.

Quinn just stood there, eyes transfixed on the door to Beth's room.

"And this is where you two will be staying... girls?" Shelby glanced around, noticing that the two teenagers were not right behind her.

Rachel noticed that Quinn had lagged behind. She hesitated for a moment before heading back to the blonde girl. She gently took Quinn's hand in her own and gave her a small but reassuring squeeze.

"Let's go look at our room, okay?"

They stopped abruptly once again when they reached their room.

"Uhm..."

"Uhhh..."

The room was _huge,_ large enough to fit both of them comfortably, it even had it's own bathroom. The problem was, there was only _one _bed.

"Is this for real?" Quinn said.

"Are you sure we're not being Punk'd?" Rachel exclaimed at the same time. Shelby looked a bit sheepish.

"Um, you should know that I only thought that, you know, it would be just Judy and Quinn moving in here sometime in the future. I never expected that all of this would happen, and so soon at that. I haven't even gotten the house fully furnished yet!" Shelby closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I called for the delivery of a new bed, but since the furniture store also got hit by the tornado, it's going to take a while before that bed arrives. In the meantime, you two could maybe share? The couch is free, but it's pretty stiff. So sharing the bed may be the best option. We just have to make do with what we've got for now."

"How long?" Rachel piped up.

"How long for what?"

"How long till the bed gets here." Shelby shifted guiltily.

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Rachel glanced over at Quinn, curious as to what she thought of all this. The blonde just shrugged.

"I could share." Rachel's eyes widened. She didn't expect this response from the ex-Cheerio. But truthfully, she was kinda relieved that she didn't have to spend the night alone, even if it was with Quinn _freakin'_ Fabray.

Shelby's eyes darted between the two girls. She could sense a kind of tension between them. Was this really a good idea?

"I'll leave you two then."

She would just have to wait and see. Hopefully, this would be a blessing in disguise and somehow bring the whole family together. _The whole family_. They weren't a family right now, not yet. But Shelby wished deep in her heart that maybe someday, they could be.

When Shelby left the room, Quinn turned to Rachel.

"So which side do you want?" It took a second before Rachel registered the question in her mind.

"Hm? Oh, the right, if that's okay with you."

"It's fine. I tend to sleep on the left anyway. Look, I know you're a big talker and all, but can we cool it on the conversation for now? I just want to get to sleep. It's been a long day." Rachel raised her hands and shrugged.

"No objections here."

* * *

><p>Quinn woke up in the middle of the night to hear the sounds of somebody sniffling. It took her a few seconds to realize that Rachel was <em>crying<em>. The brunette currently had her back turned to her, but the slight shaking of her shoulders was enough to give her away.

Quinn just had to ask the question that had been nagging at her mind ever since she stepped through the front door.

"Rachel? What are you doing here?"

"I-it's my da-ads... they... they..." Rachel sniffled, trying to work up the strength to blurt out what had happened. "They got caught in the tornado, then they suffered severe brain trauma, and now they're in a coma and the doctor said he doesn't know when they will wake up and now I'm stuck with a mother who left me, _twice_, and I don't know what will happen and there's nothing I can do!" All that came out in one continuous breath. It made Rachel wheeze and she continued crying right after she was done with the outburst.

"I'm scared Quinn." Rachel whispered after a few moments.

Rachel stopped sobbing when she felt the unexpected touch of Quinn's arm draping over her midsection.

"Quinn?"

"We're friends, right?" Rachel's mind shot back to that day in the auditorium, when she and Quinn had argued and she ended up composing 'Get It Right'. No, they weren't friends, not really. But laying there in the dark, with all that just happened, Rachel would take anything she could get.

"Yeah, I guess so."

She rolled over and wrapped her arms around Quinn as well, laying her head on the crook of Quinn's shoulder. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. Neither girl knew what was going to happen in the future. They both felt as if life had just crashed down on them and they were struggling, trying to reach the surface. Neither girl knew what this embrace meant either, just that they didn't want to let go. They just took comfort in the fact that at least, for now, they both had something to hold on to.


	4. Tomorrow is another day

**A/N: The chapter titles are _parts_ of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'! Remember, I need the exact title of the movie!**

**A/N2: I'm working on putting up a preview of 'Midnight Magic' as well as an overview of the characters that need names. I'll try to get it up on my LJ and maybe post the links in the next chapter. I'm not going to reveal who won until all the slots are filled! That way, I won't be giving away who has all the right answers. ;p**

.

**Chapter 4- Tomorrow is another day**

.

Dawn arrived as the sun peeked out over the horizon and sent it's rays through the eastern windows of the Corcoran House, illuminating the face of a sleeping brunette girl.

Rachel awoke with a deep sense of warmth and contentment. It felt almost _sinful_ to break the peaceful state she was currently residing in, but Rachel Berry was not one to waste away the day. She took a moment to savor the soothing sense of tranquility she was experiencing before she had to open her eyes and start the day.

She frowned.

She could hear the sound of a heartbeat that didn't quite match her own. And her pillow felt oddly bouncy, yet somewhat firm and unyielding. With her eyes still closed, she reached a hand up beside her head and gave her pillow an experimental squeeze. A few seconds passed before her eyes shot open in horror and her sight confirmed what she had just felt.

_Quinn!_

She was laying partially on top of the blonde, and apparently using one of her breasts as a pillow. Rachel gulped and slowly tracked her eyes upward till her gaze fell upon her hand. Yep. Her hand was on top of Quinn's other breast, frozen in mid-squeeze.

Rachel was glad Quinn was still sound asleep. The blonde would _massacre_ her for what had just happened. Her mind raced, trying to figure out why the hell she was in this position in the first place.

Her breath hitched and tears started welling up in her eyes as all the memories of the previous day came rushing back to her. Her breakup with Finn. Her dads lying comatose in the hospital. Shelby coming back to Ohio and taking her in. Finding out her mother was a lesbian and in a relationship with _Judy Fabray_ of all people. Quinn, mother of her adopted sister, now her roommate and prospective stepsister. _And we're sharing the same bed. _That last one was a doozy. Her head was starting to pound. Did all that just really happen yesterday? It was too much for any one person to handle.

She was too overwhelmed to move. So she just lay there, her head still on Quinn's chest. Taking in as much as she could of the comfort that the intimacy of their postion provided, before the blonde would wake up and send her sprawling back into reality. But for now...

.

Quinn had actually awoken a few minutes before Rachel did. She was confused at first when she felt pressure on her chest and found out that her movements were restricted. But as her mind recalled the happenings of the previous night, she calmed back down and just basked in the moment, relishing the closeness of another human being, even though it was _Rachel freakin' Berry,_ of all people.

Her eyes bugged out though, when she felt a tiny hand grab her breast and squeeze a few times. She was too shocked to even move. What was Rachel doing? Then, she felt the brunette freeze in place. Hmm... it was quite possible that Rachel had just realized what she was doing, so Quinn let it slide. For now.

Not too long after, she started to feel moisture on her chest. Was Rachel crying? Somehow, she couldn't quite bear it when Rachel cried. She was usually so strong, so confident, so sure of herself that when she did break down, Quinn couldn't help but feel that something truly terrible had happened to the diva. Like her.

She had made Rachel cry at least once, that day in the auditorium before Regionals, and probably on many occasions before that, when she would torture the brunette and constantly put her down. She had so many regrets in life and Rachel was a big part of them. And now, with what Rachel had told her about what had happened the previous day, she couldn't help but feel for her. Try to make up for past mistakes by being here for Rachel this time. Yes, she had her own drama going on at the moment with her mom and Shelby and Beth, but that didn't make Rachel's own problems any less important.

She had made a mistake, rejecting Rachel's offers of friendship. She had always been searching for someone to love her for who she was, and Rachel was probably the only person who would have loved her wholeheartedly, even if it was just as a friend. That girl had a big heart and she endlessly forgave Quinn, no matter how many times the blonde had wronged her. This time, Quinn promised herself as she started unconsciously rubbing Rachel's back, things would be different.

.

As Rachel felt a hand start to trace circles on her back, her eyes widened at the realization that Quinn may not be so sound asleep after all.

"Quinn?"

"Hm?"

"You awake?"

"Yeah."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know what a lech you are, Berry," Quinn lightly teased. Rachel winced. She felt horrified that Quinn was actually awake when she... when she... _molested_ her.

"Quinn? I'm sorry. Despite what you said last night, I know that we're not really friends and it really isn't in my position to take advantage of you like this. I'm very sorry for everything that happened with Finn, and I know that you must hate me for it. I just felt like I had something to prove and my actions may have caused a rift between us."

"I don't hate you," Quinn answered. _I just really wish you hadn't kissed... _him. She enfolded the smaller girl in her arms. "Believe me, you didn't do anything wrong. You just wanted to show that you were capable of being loved by someone other than your parents. If anything, I should be asking your forgiveness for making you feel that way in the first place. I'm sorry. And if your offer still stands, I would really like to try being friends."

"Okay." Rachel smiled in relief as her vision grew hazy due to the moisture building up in her eyes. Somehow, the world didn't look so bleak and dreary anymore.

Quinn took a deep breath. Then she stopped. She raised her nose in the air and sniffed. _Bacon! _The blonde sprang up out of bed, nearly knocking Rachel off of it as well.

"Come on, Rach! Breakfast time!" She called out as she ran through the door and rushed down the hallway to the stairs.

.

Rachel sighed. It was amazing the way Quinn didn't let anything distract her from her bacon, deeply emotional moment or no.

She got up and made her way to the dresser. She brushed her hair, trying to make herself look at least a little bit presentable before making her way downstairs. Once she was done, she went on downstairs to the kitchen and sat on one of the stools around the kitchen table.

Rachel giggled at the sight set before her. Quinn looked like a wild animal. Her hair was sticking out at odd angles, her mouth stuffed full of bacon, a mixture of drool and grease dripping down her jawline. It was like watching a caveman eat. Or cavewoman. _Yeah, _Rachel mused as her gaze traveled down the rest of Quinn's body. _Definitely, woman._ Rachel blushed as she realized what she was thinking. Here was Quinn, looking all disgusting, and all she could think about was the lithe and supple body that had been laying beneath her not more than a quarter of an hour ago?

She shook her head and tried to focus on anything but Quinn. It was then that she noticed Judy standing by the stove observing her with an amused expression on her face. When their eyes met, Judy's expression widened into a smile.

"Yes, she's been like that ever since she quit the Cheerios," Judy remarked, tipping her head in Quinn's direction. She stepped away from the kitchen countertop, one hand carrying a plate full of pancakes.

"Good morning, Rachel."

"Good morning, Mrs. Fabray." Judy flapped a hand at her.

"Oh sweetie, there's no need for that here. Just call me Judy. Here," She set the plate down in front of Rachel. " I made you some pancakes. Don't worry," she quickly interjected when Rachel opened her mouth to protest. "Shelby said you were vegan, so I pulled a vegan recipe from online. These should be alright."

"Thank you." Rachel nodded and accepted the plate, not sure whether to be pleased or shocked that someone cared about her preferences. She took a bite of her pancake. _Mmm... blueberry!_ She dug in, suddenly feeling very hungry. She shoveled in huge amounts of pancake into her mouth, her bulging cheeks starting to rival Quinn's. She let out an involuntary moan. _This could be heaven!_

Judy chuckled inwardly at the sight of the two girls stuffing their faces. She never would have expected that such a small girl would have such a big appetite. _Mission accomplished. _She took off her apron and made her way over to leave the kitchen. She paused at the kitchen entryway and turned back catching Rachel's eye once more.

"I'm going back upstairs now. If you girls need anything else, I'm sure you can fend for yourselves. Just make sure you clean up after, okay?" Rachel nodded and turned her attention once more onto her pancakes. Judy shook her head and began climbing up the stairs. _Kids. Hmm..._ she mused as a wry thought popped into her head. _Maybe I can sneak in a little morning nookie before Shell's cousin arrives. _She grinned and started hurrying up the stairs.

.

By the time Quinn and Rachel were done eating breakfast neither girl could move off of their chairs. They just stayed there slumped over the kitchen table.

"I can't believe I ate that much," Rachel groaned.

"Yeah, me too. I can't believe _you_ ate that much." Quinn smirked as Rachel shot a glare in her direction.

The doorbell rang.

Rachel pushed herself off of her stool and started walking towards the front door.

"I'll get it." she grumbled.

Rachel opened the door and found herself face to face with a baby. _Ooh. This must be Beth. She's so cute!_

"Hola!"

Her gaze traveled upward and settled on the face of the person holding baby Beth. Her eyes grew wide in recognition.

"Oh! It's _you_!"

.

**A/N: I know this is short, but I'm only running on a few hours of sleep right now and I'm getting tired. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can!**


	5. Did I miss something?

**A/N: The chapter titles are _parts_ of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'! Remember, I need the exact title of the movie! Update: The preview of 'Midnight Magic' is up and so are the character overviews of the 5 minor characters! Just check out my profile for the links. I'll be PMing the winners in order for their character picks.**

**A/N2: Somewhat consolation prize! A new contest for those who still want to guess movie titles! The first five people to get 10 movie titles correct will get a chance to submit a name suggestion for one of the main protagonists of the Light Years series! (I will only be picking one winner though.) The Light Years/Dark Ages series are a dual bookseries that I am writing as Brie Penner, the protagonist of 'Midnight Magic'! **

**A/N3: So sorry for taking so long to update. I've been really busy and I have been having trouble logging back into FF for the past couple of weeks. (Also, I'm too OC (or lazy) to update my LJ w/o posting on FF first.)**

.

**Chapter 5- Did I miss something?**

.

Quinn was fully sated. She didn't care that she had acted like some sort of wild beast in front of Rachel or that her hair was probably still sticking out in all directions like some lion's mane. Bacon was the ultimate good and it was well worth being off the Cheerios so she could eat it.

She yawned, stretching out her arms and just basically savoring the feeling of contentment as she moseyed out of the kitchen to take a peek at whoever had rung the doorbell. She raised an eyebrow. It was Miss Holliday over at the front door. What was she doing here? She seemed to be holding something, but Rachel was blocking her line of sight. She took a step to the side to get a better view and stopped in her tracks when she saw the baby in Miss Holliday's arms. 

_Beth. _

Quinn's eyes welled up at the sight of her daughter. The daughter she had given away to Rachel's mom, of all people. The daughter who, because of her mom and Shelby's seemingly strong relationship, was now her prospective stepsister, not to mention the same applied for Rachel. Oh God, what were her mom and Shelby thinking? This was all too twisted!

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Rachel was also a bit surprised to find Miss Holliday, of all people, standing in front of the Corcoran doorstep bringing <em>Beth <em>home with her.

"Why is Beth with you?"

"Didn't Shelby mention that Beth was over at my place for the weekend?" Rachel's eyebrows raised as she processed this.

"Oh! So you're Shelby's cousin?" Holly smirked.

"Of course not, chica. My family are all circus performers. Your mother may belong on a stage, but certainly not _that_ stage. No, it's Beth's Auntie Em who is Shelby's cousin."

"Hi, Rachel!" a familiar squeaky voice greeted from behind Miss Holliday. Rachel peered around the tall blonde's form and her jaw dropped in shock.

"M-Miss Pillsbury?" Emma Pillsbury stepped out from behind Holly and went to stand beside the blonde substitute teacher instead.

"Please, Rachel, call me Emma. We're not in school right now and after all, we are related! Imagine my shock when Shelby called us up yesterday and told us that you were her daughter and that you would be staying with her for a while. I almost fell down onto the floor, when I fainted, which I would really prefer not to happen, because a floor is a floor, even if you disinfect it twice, and there are still a lot of germs down there. But, luckily Holly was there to catch me, which was so sweet of her and very chivalrous, I might add."

Rachel blinked. Why didn't she ever notice before that sometimes Miss Pillsbury rambled as much as she did? And that she had incredible focus on the things that mattered to her, like cleanliness? Maybe obsessiveness did run in the family. _Wait... Family... Beth... Quinn! _Rachel whirled around, about to call Quinn, stopping when she saw that the ex-Cheerio was already in the hallway.

Quinn was just standing there, her gaze fixed upon Beth. Rachel wondered just how long Quinn had been in that position. She saw the blonde's knees start to tremble and she quickly made a beeline for Quinn and managed to catch her just as her legs buckled and gave way. Quinn's weight brought Rachel to her knees, but at least Quinn wasn't munching carpet. ('Cause the hallway was carpeted.)

"Oof!" Rachel's breath blew out as Quinn collapsed in her arms.

"See?" Emma's voice floated through the hallway from behind Rachel. "That's exactly how Holly caught _me_."

* * *

><p>Quinn's head was spinning. In the span of two days, she had gone from being just another teenager feeling angsty about their lovelife to suddenly drowning in the past she had once escaped, left behind, regretted,. and ironically, Rachel Berry was her lifeline.<p>

Quinn buried her head in Rachel's bosom, sobbing quite loudly now, while Rachel just cradled her in her arms, gently stroking the blonde's hair and whispering soothing words in her ear. Emma and Holly shared a look behind them, totally unsure of what to do with the situation.

Suddenly, Beth began to cry. Quinn immediately stopped her own blubbering when she heard the sound of her own daughter bawling at the top her lungs. With Rachel's support, Quinn clambered back onto her feet as Holly rocked Beth gently in her arms, trying to soothe the infant back down. Noticing that Quinn was now standing, Holly cocked an eyebrow in the direction of the younger blonde and held the still wailing Beth out to her.

"Do you want to try?"

Quinn just nodded. Holly moved closer and Quinn gingerly took Beth into her arms, one hand supporting the bottom and the other supporting the back, holding Beth in a gentle embrace; this was her first time holding her since the hospital. Beth slowly calmed down as Quinn rubbed slow circles on her daughter's back. Quinn was crying again, though her tears were silent now, more from joy than anything else, as she looked down at her daughter who was now finally back in her arms.

* * *

><p>They had all adjourned to the living room and Quinn was now sitting on the couch with Beth on her lap. The other three had taken seats across from Quinn and were observing the interaction between her and the baby.<p>

"_They just take to each other naturally, don't they?_" Emma whispered, not particularly directing her comment at anyone. Holly smirked and leaned over to whisper in Rachel's ear.

"_Do you think she's even noticed that her hair is still sticking up? It's like watching Animal Planet."_

Rachel giggled.

"What's going on here?" the voice of Shelby rang out from the direction of the stairs.

Quinn looked up and then groaned.

"Oh God, one should never see one's own mother with sex hair."

"Amen to that," Rachel replied, with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

Shelby and Judy were standing on the stairway landing, hair still all tousled, hastily donned robes slipping slightly off their shoulders. Judy smiled.

"You're one to talk Quinn," she retorted. "I see you still haven't combed your hair. You look like a lion."

Quinn's mouth gaped open. But she couldn't do anything about her hair right now, seeing as she was still holding Beth. Emma sprung up from her seat and bounded over to Shelby and Judy.

"Cousin Shelly! How are you? I'm sorry I missed you when you dropped off Beth last Friday. I'd hug you but, you know... cooties." She squeaked a little in surprise when a pair of arms suddenly snaked themselves around her waist as she heard a whisper in her ear.

"_You don't seem to mind _my_ cooties." _Emma relaxed, recognizing the playful tone of Holly as the blonde rested her head on Emma's shoulder flashing a smile in the direction of Shelby and Judy.

"Why don't you all come visit this weekend?" Holly asked. "We can have a pool party." Shelby smiled.

"That sounds nice." Shelby turned to Rachel and Quinn. "Is that okay with you, girls?"

Quinn just nodded, still somewhat preoccupied with Beth. Rachel, however, was now staring at Emma and Holly. The pieces of the picture started falling into place.

"You two are together!" Rachel exclaimed in disbelief, pointing an accusing finger at the redhead and the blonde who were still entwined in one another.

"Yes." Emma answered matter-of-factly.

"B-but how...?"

"Well, I've realized that girls are less icky than guys so it's much less of a problem for me when Holly and I are-" A hand clapped over Emma's mouth before she could continue.

"I don't think she wants to know about that, sweetie." Holly said quietly. She looked at Rachel who nodded frantically.

"Y-yes, of course. I was just meaning to ask as to how you two got together in the first place." Holly put on her trademark coy smile.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

><p>Judy, Holly, Emma and Rachel had gone to the kitchen so that Holly and Emma could tell their story over breakfast. Quinn, however, opted to stay in the living room with Beth.<p>

Quinn was so focused on Beth that she didn't notice Shelby enter the living room until the brunette in question sat down on the other side of the couch, on Beth's other side.

"She can walk on her own now," Shelby remarked. "Pretty soon she'll just be zipping about everywhere." She took one of Beth's hands. "Hey, Beth." Beth swiveled her head around to the direction of Shelby.

"Mama!" she gurgled, holding out her arms, asking to be carried. Shelby smiled and settled Beth onto her lap.

"Beth, this is Quinn." she said, facing her towards the blonde. _Of course she would just call me by name, _Quinn thought._ I gave up the right to be her mother last year._

"Kin?" Beth replied.

"She's your mommy." Shelby continued. Beth kept her eyes on Quinn, trying to focus on the word.

"Mami!" she finally exclaimed, pointing a triumphant finger at Quinn. "Mami, mami, mami!" Quinn turned wide disbelieving eyes at Shelby. Shelby gave her an encouraging smile.

"I've shown her pictures of you before, telling her about you. Any other semantics won't matter, Quinn. You are her mother too and she should know that. You know, I never expected you to not be a part of her life. It's one of the reasons I brought us back from New York."

"I didn't know."

"You never did answer my calls when I wanted to get in touch." Shelby said pointedly.

"Oh." Shelby was right, of course. Quinn had been shutting out that part of her life for the past year. Shelby had called several times but she always hung up the phone right away. Shelby stretched out her arm that wasn't holding Beth and pulled Quinn into a hug.

"It'll be alright now, kiddo." Quinn's eyes started to well up again as she rested her head on Shelby's shoulder.

"Mama! Mami!" Beth complained, seeing as she was getting squished between Quinn and Shelby. They withdrew from their hug, chuckling a little as they started playing with Beth, cooing over how adorable she was.

"Oh, and Quinn?" Shelby suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"You might want to fix your hair." Before Shelby could even blink, Quinn was gone as a rush of blonde went flying past her and up the stairs.

.

**A/N: I did warn in my profile that this would be my gayest universe. Sometime in the future, I will post fics on the how some of the couples that have and will appear in this story come to be.**


	6. We have the stars

**A/N: Aaaand I'm back! I'm so sorry I went on a rather abrupt hiatus there but real life got really busy and I didn't have much time for writing except for the beta'ng that I do for a couple of other writers. But now this is my big comeback because it's officially 1 year since I posted my first fic here on FF! So I'm coming back with a bang and putting up several stories at once. Happy Valentine's!**

**A/N2: The chapter titles are _parts_ of famous quotes from classic movies. Try guessing where they come from! The first five who can guess five or more will get a minor character named after them in the original novel I'm writing, 'Midnight Magic'! Remember, I need the exact title of the movie! The preview of 'Midnight Magic' is up (though I am in the process of rewriting it) and so are the character overviews of the 5 minor characters! Just check out my profile for the links. I'll be PMing the winners in order for their character picks.**

**A/N3: Somewhat consolation prize! A new contest for those who still want to guess movie titles! The first five people to get 10 movie titles correct will get a chance to submit a name suggestion for one of the main protagonists of the Light Years series! (I will only be picking one winner though.) The Light Years/Dark Ages series are a dual bookseries that I am writing as Brie Penner, the protagonist of 'Midnight Magic'! **

**Chapter 6- We have the stars**

Quinn got stuck with dishwashing duty that night since Rachel had abruptly excused herself halfway through dinner. It was quite obvious to her that there was something going on with Rachel. The brunette had been somewhat subdued all day. So as soon as she was done, she hurried upstairs to see if she could talk to Rachel. After all, they were friends now right?

Their room, however, was empty when she got there.

"Rachel?" Quinn called out tentatively.

"Out here," came the reply through the window of their room which Quinn now noticed was open. She went over and cautiously poked her head out the window. She found Rachel laying on a large piece of canvas spread out on the roof outside their window.

"Where did you get that thing?" Quinn asked, gesturing at the canvas.

"I found this rolled up in the back of the closet," Rachel replied.

"Mind if I join you?" Rachel just shrugged.

"Whatever." That was all the invitation Quinn needed. She climbed carefully out of the window and settled down next to Rachel. It didn't seem like Rachel was inclined to talking so they both just lay there for awhile in silence. Quinn sighed internally. If she was ever going to get Rachel to open up to her then it appeared that she would have to be the one to take the initiative.

"So..." Quinn began, turning her head toward Rachel. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Quinn," Rachel answered curtly. Quinn was not convinced. She turned her most pointed stare on Rachel.

"Rachel," Quinn began. "We may not have been friends long but I've known you long enough to know that you wear your emotions on your sleeve. It's clear that something's bothering you. I know we haven't exactly had a great past but I swear I am your friend now, Rach. You can tell me anything and I promise I'll do whatever I can to help with whatever's troubling you." Rachel just continued staring blankly off into space. Quinn didn't want to push so she just waited patiently. It seemed like forever before Rachel finally responded.

"I always loved stargazing with my dads. When I was little, Daddy would always tell me this story. It was about a Little Star who wanted to be the brightest star in the universe. It was my favorite bedtime story. Daddy always said that I was his Little Star. I miss him and Dad." Quinn rolled onto her side and laid a comforting hand on Rachel's arm.

"Don't worry, Rach. I'm sure your dads will wake up soon," Quin soothed. "I'm here for you, Rachel. We'll get through this. Together." Rachel turned to her side to face Quinn.

"Thank you, Quinn. But... it's not just that. It's also..." She trailed off.

"Also what?" Quinn pressed.

"Well, I see how you are with Beth and you totally love her. And I'm just left wondering why Shelby couldn't love me like that." Quinn's heart nearly broke at the forlorn look on Rachel's face.

"Oh, Rach. I'm sure Shelby loves you. It's just that you two have been apart for so long that you had each built each other up differently in your minds. So when you two finally met, well, I think it was confusing for her. You were already this amazing young woman who had grown up with two loving parents who have been there for her all of her life while she was just a stranger who missed a lot of the important stuff." Rachel just stared at Quinn, eyes shining.

"You think I'm amazing?" Quinn rolled her eyes. Of course Rachel Berry would latch onto _that_.

"Yes, Rachel. I am so sorry for the things I said about you in the past. You are in fact the most amazing, astounding, marvelous and overall, the best person I have ever met in my entire life. You've forgiven me for things I can't even forgive myself. Truly, Rach. It is my greatest regret not having accepted your offer of friendship much sooner."

Rachel was stricken silent. Not in a million years would she ever have dreamed that those words would come out of Quinn's mouth.

"Anyway, Rachel. Even if nobody knew how wonderful you are, I know in my heart that Shelby already loves you as much as I love Beth. Just give her a chance, okay? Adults make mistakes too. What matters is that she's trying to make it right, now."

"Thank you, Quinn," Rachel responded, her eyes already welling up with tears. "Don't discount yourself too. I've told you before: you are so much more than just a pretty face. I knew there was a lot of good in you. It's why I not only forgave you for everything, I also really wanted you to be my friend."

Quinn was starting to feel a little overwhelmed with emotion herself as she found herself starting to tear up. Without thinking, she just pulled the brunette closer to her and held her tightly.

"Thank you, Rachel," she whispered fiercely into the other girl's hair. "For not giving up on me." They stayed that way for quite awhile until Quinn felt self-conscious and gently released Rachel from her embrace. Both girls took a few moments to wipe their own tear-stained cheeks when they simultaneously caught each other's gaze and wild grins uncontrollably swept onto their faces, which quickly dissolved into fits of giggles. Quinn was the first one to regain her breath from the laughter.

"Now, tell me this story of yours about the Little Star."

**A/N: If you want to read the story of Little Star, you can find it here →**

**www(dot)bedtime(dot)com/html/little_star(dot)htm**


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